- Grand Union Hotel (Saratoga Springs, New York)
The Grand Union Hotel on Broadway in
Saratoga Springs, New York was built in 1802 byGideon Putnam . A luxury hotel that catered to the wealthy elite, following the opening ofSaratoga Race Course in 1863, renovations and expansions to the hotel saw it grow to 824 rooms and become the then largest hotel in the world. TheGrand Union Hotel Stakes race was run at the Saratoga track until 1958.In his 1872 book "Saratoga and How to See It", author R. F. Dearborn wrote (text in the
public domain ) about the hotel saying:
* "This mammoth establishment is located on the west side of Broadway, and with its magnificent grounds embraces a space seven acres in extent, covering nearly an entire square. It is a splendid brick structure, with a street frontage of 1,364 feet. The office, parlor, dining room and dancing hall are unequaled for size, graceful architecture and splendid equipments and finish—the former exhibiting a lavish display of white and colored marbles, while a series of colonnades rise from the center to the dome. Within the capacious grounds are several elegant cottages, which are greatly sought for by the elite. A vertical railway, comprising the latest improvements, renders the six stories so easy of access as to be equally desirable to guests."In 1877, Judge Henry Hilton, the manager of the hotel, denied entry to
Joseph Seligman and his family because they were Jews, creating nationwide controversy. It was the first antisemitic incident of its kind in the United States to achieve widespread publicity.In 1953 the Grand Union Hotel was torn down to make way for a
supermarket . [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE1D91326E432BC4E53DFBE6E958A&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2]References
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9803EEDF1F30E233A25753C3A9609C946697D6CF June 30, 1907 "New York Times" article on the Grand Union Hotel]
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17633/17633-h/17633-h.htm "Saratoga and How to See It" by R. F. Dearborn - Reprintable Public Doman text from Project Gutenberg]
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